How much do you trust your coworkers? Your boss? How about senior leadership?

If you’re striving to build a culture that really stands out from the rest, one key piece of the puzzle is trust—in colleagues and in leaders who are responsible for setting the tone for the rest of the business.

And if you’ve ever worked in a company with high levels of mistrust and suspicion, you know full well how it can seep into every corner of your work life. It can impact your productivity—can you trust your colleague to finish their piece of the project? It can really impact morale—can you trust your manager to go to bat for you? Or to give you a fair, unbiased review?

For years, Great Place to Work® has researched millions of employees in more than 90 countries. The data overwhelmingly shows that great workplaces “are built through the day-to-day relationships that employees experience.” According to Great Place to Work co-founder Robert Levering, a great workplace “is one in which you trust the people you work for, have pride in what you do, and enjoy the people you work with.”

Business case for trust

Sure, trust makes day-to-day life a lot more enjoyable at work. But it also has far-reaching impact on the business. Results from the 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer show that when people trust companies, they are more likely to share positive opinions online, defend the company, and even shell out more money for their products.

And research from Great Place to Work confirms that best companies where there are high levels of trust provide nearly three times the stock market return.

Latest survey results on trust

The new report from the WorkHuman Research Institute at Globoforce digs a bit deeper into trust and how it impacts culture. The fourth finding is: “Employees trust colleagues most, but it is trust for leaders that most impacts culture.”

First workers were asked whether they trust their colleagues, their boss, and senior leaders. Only 65% of workers say that they trust their senior leaders.

Trust = love

Next the report delves into the connection between trust and loving your job. It finds that workers who trust their senior leaders are almost twice as likely to say they love their job. Those that trust their colleagues are 31% more likely to love their job, and those that trust their boss are 34% more likely to love their job.

The survey not only shows the positive impact of trust, but suggests that one of the most effective ways of building trust for managers and senior leaders is through frequent recognition. Check out the chart below.

Workers recognized in the last month are 34% more likely to trust senior leaders, compared to those those who have never been recognized. Likewise, workers are 33% more likely to trust managers when they have been recently recognized.

He explains: “We might think we want our leaders to be machines or heroes. But it’s impossible to trust a person who is always rational, serious, and in control. If you’re a boss, have the courage to present yourself as a more complex being: as a sinner, not a saint; a fragile identity, not a robust platform; a lively question-mark, not a dead-certain exclamation point.”

The more managers and leaders bring our whole human selves to work—by giving recognition and being transparent and authentic—the more likely we are to build trust and reap its benefits in our workplaces.

As Managing Editor, Sarah manages Globoforce’s blog and writes content about making work more human for people and organizations worldwide. She has a BA in English and Writing from University of Rhode Island.